The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

"With plenty of illustrations to bolster the text, Lipton has assembled remarkably detailed evidence of the growth of the anti-Jewish images found in the expansion of learning at the beginning of the Middle Ages."

Lipton (History/SUNY Stony Brook; Images of Intolerance: The Representation of Jews and Judaism in the Bible moralisée, 1999) sets out to show that negative images of Jews first appeared as early as the 12th century, long before the generally accepted 15th-century beginnings.Read full book review >

"An intriguing read, useful resource and definitive voice in defense of the divine in human culture."

Comparative religions expert Armstrong (Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, 2010, etc.) provides a comprehensive and erudite study of the history of violence in relation to religion.
Read full book review >

"Both erudite and intimate, Metaxas invites even the scoffer to wonder."

Biographer and cultural commentator Metaxas (Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness, 2013, etc.) addresses the concept of the miraculous in a work both intellectual and personal in approach.Read full book review >

Over the last few decades, Americans have turned college admissions into a terrifying and occasionally devastating process, preceded by test prep, tutors, all sorts of stratagems, all kinds of rankings, and a conviction among too many young people that their futures will be determined and their worth established by which schools say yes and which say no. In Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni explains why, giving students and their parents a new perspective on this brutal, deeply flawed competition and a path out of the anxiety that it provokes. “Written in a lively style but carrying a wallop, this is a book that family and educators cannot afford to overlook as they try to navigate the treacherous waters of college admissions,” our reviewer writes.
View video >

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.